Since Taeseo was born, our choices for eating out have changed completely. First, the restaurant has to have a high chair. Second, it can’t be too quiet—Taeseo is a total chatterbox. And honestly, my husband and I have shifted our dining priorities, too.
We used to skip buffets. We thought the money was better spent on a proper sit-down meal or good-quality meat. Grazing on a bunch of small plates always left us feeling oddly full and unsatisfied. Funny enough, the place we go to most now is a buffet.
The reason is simple: free for kids under 36 months.
If you’ve been following the “Taeseo Mom Survival” posts, you probably already know Taeseo is a big eater. He’s not picky—he’ll try almost anything. Those chubby cheeks? They’re the result of 20 months of steady eating with zero picky phases.
Buffets mark kids under 36 months as free for a reason: who’s to say a baby will eat much? A few bites, maybe. But our Taeseo eats a surprising amount.
Because he eats almost everything except spicy food, buffets are unbeatable for convenience. After a few visits we developed a routine: start with rice porridge, load up on protein with his favorite meats, then move on to carbs—glass noodle stir-fry (japchae), fried items, spaghetti—and finish with fruit and bread. It’s a perfect little course.
For Mom and Dad, it feels like a meal that doesn’t waste money—almost a DIY creative economy that yields free food. Still, we feel a little guilty thinking about the restaurant owners.
Watching Taeseo devour plate after plate, we can’t help but mutter, “Taeseo, have some conscience—go pay for that.”
Just like all-you-can-eat barbecue spots that post signs banning wrestlers or sports teams, someday a buffet Taeseo visits might put up a notice like this.
Children under 36 months: charges apply based on consumption.
